By Rha Hae-sungKorean citizens with candles rallied in the street in late 2016 and early 2017 to oust former President Park Geun-hye who was embroiled in a corruption scandal.The popular movement has boosted people's interest in political issues while deepening their understanding of the country's democracy and history. Such a backdrop seems to prompt directors to deal with the history of democracy. "A Taxi Driver," the film portraying the Gwangju pro-democracy movement in 1980, hit it big by drawing more than 12 million cinemagoers last year. This year, it is all about Jang Joon-hwan as his recent film, "1987: When the Day Comes," which has attracted more than 4 million viewers to take second place in the local box office.There is no end in sight to the popularity of the film, which was released on Dec. 27 to portray the struggle against the authoritarian regime during the fateful year of 1987. In 1987, the army general-turned-political leader gave in to the nationwide pro-democratic rallies and pledged to introduce direct presidential elections, which was the start of the country's democracy.But many died during the struggles including college students on the streets or behind closed doors. The movie features their stories as well as those of real-life reporters and everyday people. "When I was a college student, I took part in pro-democratic movements but I was not an outstanding activist," Jang said. "Hence, I have had a sense of guilt that prodded me to make this movie."Jang said the previous Lee Myung-bak administration's practice of blacklisting him and his wife, actress Moon So-ri, also affected the decision. "Making a blacklist is not about limiting people's incomes but about hurting their souls. I hope my child will live in a better world. That's why I opted to make this film," he said. Jang said he was uncertain about the success of the film but veteran actors like Kim Yoon-seok, Ha Jung-woo and Gang Dong-won encouraged him. Unexpected support from the famed actors seemingly gave him the strength to turn a low-budget film into a blockbuster, which will also tap into foreign markets soon. President Moon Jae-in watched the movie on Jan. 7 and predicted the number of viewers will eventually top 10 million.